Anita Caspary, IHM, former college president, dies at 95

Funeral Mass will be held Oct. 22, 9 a.m., at Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles for Anita M. Caspary, IHM (Sister Humiliata), beloved member of the Immaculate Heart Community, who died Oct. 5 at age 95. Retired Bishop Remi De Roo of Victoria, B.C., a longtime friend, will preside at the funeral Mass for Caspary, leader, teacher, poet, author and former president of Immaculate Heart College.Born in Herrick, South Dakota, Caspary moved with her family to Los Angeles in 1917, graduated from Bishop Conaty High School, and attended Immaculate Heart College, where she earned her B.A. in English in 1936. The same year, she entered the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart and was assigned to teach at Immaculate Heart High School and at St. Bernardine’s High School, San Bernardino. She later earned her M.A. in English from USC, then a Ph.D. from Stanford University. At Immaculate Heart College she was English Department chair, graduate dean and (1958-63) president. Elected as Mother General in 1963, she began her leadership for ten critical years as the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart evolved into a new relationship as Immaculate Heart Community. Caspary chronicled the struggles of those post-Vatican II years in her book, “Witness to Integrity: The Crisis of the Immaculate Heart Community of California,” in which she detailed her personal journey and the process that led the Sisters to answer the call to a new way of being in an ecumenical community. (Next week’s issue of The Tidings will carry a more complete story on the life of Anita Caspary.)In the ’70s, Caspary taught on the faculty of the Franciscan School of Theology and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, returning in 1980 to live in community at the IHM Residence in Los Angeles. She served on the staff of the Peace and Justice Center of Southern California and also taught courses in the Feminist Spirituality Program of Immaculate Heart College Center, which was established following the closure of Immaculate Heart College in 1980.In 2005, The Anita Caspary Lecture Series was founded in her honor as an educational program for the public with guests who speak “from the heart” about their spiritual journey and experience in answering the call to discipleship. Memorial donations may be made to Immaculate Heart Community, 5515 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery.Sr. Martha Louise Dischner, CSJFuneral Mass was held Sept. 27 at Carondelet Center in Los Angeles for Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Martha Louise Dischner, 87, who died Sept. 18. Born in Garrison, South Dakota, she first met the Sisters of St. Joseph when she enrolled in St. John Chrysostom School after moving with her family to Los Angeles. She later attended St. Mary’s Academy and, upon graduation, entered the community.After her first profession, she began a 60-year career in elementary education as a teacher and principal. She was also involved in guiding the younger Sisters as their “Master Teacher.” In 2003, she joined Holy Family Community and kept involved in education as a tutor for children whose parents brought them to Carondelet Center where she had converted an office into a mini-classroom. Sister Dischner also served as Eucharistic minister at Daniel Freeman Memorial and Daniel Freeman Marina Hospitals.On the occasion of her 70th jubilee, Sister described her understanding of jubilee: “I am hard pressed to find anyone who has had a more blessed and wonderful life of serving, of growing, of learning and of teaching than I.” Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery.Sr. Mary Patricia Devaney, RSHMFuneral Mass was held Sept. 23 at Sacred Heart of Mary Chapel in Montebello for Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Sister Mary Patricia Devaney, 76, who died Sept. 18 at Regina Residence in Orange. She had been a member of her Community for 59 years.Born in County Galway, Ireland, she made her novitiate in Tarrytown, N.Y. She received a B.A. and teaching credential from Marymount College, Los Angeles, and spent 28 years as an elementary school teacher. Locally, she taught at St. Alphonsus, Los Angeles; St. Francis de Sales, Sherman Oaks; Marymount Junior School, Palos Verdes; and Marymount Junior School, Los Angeles.After retiring from teaching, Sister Devaney became certified in hospital care ministry, where her kindness, compassion and ability to minister to the needs of the sick were most evident. Among the facilities she served were Queen of Angels Hollywood Medical Center and Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance.Because of illness, she moved to Casa Guadalupe in 2009. Survivors include her five brothers, six sisters, their spouses and families and her many friends. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.